Standing Committee continues inquiry into surrogacy

Commercial surrogacy is illegal throughout Australia, aside from the Northern Territory. However, in December last year, the Commonwealth Attorney General announced that he had requested the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs to hold an inquiry into Australian and overseas surrogacy arrangements.

The inquiry is to consider the various issues and recommendations made in two recent reviews into surrogacy that were released in 2015, being the Family Law Council's Parentage and the Family Law ActReport; and Chair of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs Roundtable on Surrogacy Report.

The Committee is to report by 30 June 2016on the following areas:

the roles of the states and territories in regulating international and domestic surrogacy;

ways for the Federal government to deal adequately with this issue including in relation to its laws, policies and practices;

the ability of the Federal government and the states and territories to work together to share information;

Australia's international obligations;

a detailed review of other countries' laws, policies and practices in relation to international surrogacy, immigration and citizenship;

matters concerning consent, payments, rights and protections;

matters concerning medical and welfare issues; and

the amount and accuracy of available information to interested parties.

The Committee is currently accepting submissions from interested individuals or organisations which are due by 11 February 2016.

Author

Chloe Parker, Lawyer

Further information

Rachell Davey, Special Counsel

Chloe Parker | Lawyer

Family & Relationship Law

+61 3 9269 9151

cparker@landers.com.au

Rachell Davey | Special Counsel

Family & Relationship Law

+61 3 9269 9126

rdavey@landers.com.au

All information in this article is of a general nature only and is not intended to be relied upon as, nor to be a substitute for, specific legal professional advice. No responsibility for the loss occasioned to any person acting on or refraining from action as a result of any material published can be accepted